Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1710 - May 21 2010

Note: Audio bytes not transcribed. To hear the commentary please
download and play the MP3 version of this newscast availble at
http://www.arnewsline.orghttp://www.arnewsline.org

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1710 with a release date of
Friday, May 21, 2010 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. Hamvention 2010 is a big hit. We take you
there. Also, an I-A-R-U report says that hams saved lives following
the April earthquake, Kenya gives its hams expanded privileges on 40
meters and super-capicators my replace batteries in critical uses.
Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number 1710
coming your way right now.

(Billboard Cart Here)

**

The 2010 Dayton Hamvention is now history and by all accounts this
year's event was bigger than last even considering the poor economy,
as we hear from Henry Raminsky, Hamventions's Media and Public
Relations Chairman&

(AUDIO Raminsky opening morning)

Heil sound's Chip Margelli, K7JA, echoes Henry's observations about the
increased attendance at this year's Hamvention.

(AUDIO Margelli)

Henry goes on to tell us that Hamvention is a lot more than just new
toys at the vendors and manufacturers inside and everything under the
sun outside in the flea market. There's something for just about
everyone.

(AUDIO Raminsky balloon and forums)

One of the best attended and most anticipated forums is Friday's Ham
Radio and the Law forum. Since 1980 James O'Connell, W9WU, has kept
attendees abreast of the latest developments as they relate to
covenants and antenna restrictions.

(AUDIO O'Connell 1)

If you're thinking about erecting a tower or large antenna this is one
forum you really need to attend.

(AUDIO O'Connell 2)

Of course, it wouldn't be Hamvention without the Amateur Radio Newsline
Town Hall Meeting. Several hams, well known and not so well known
explained how your ham ticket could open the door to your next job.
We'll have more on the Town Hall Meeting next week.

**

HAMVENTION 2010: SOME OF THE NEW GEAR

In addition to the Wouxon dual band hand held we told you about
previously, there were a number of other new products of interest to
those strolling the display area at the HARA arena. Among them, the
long awaited Kenwood TS-590S HF/50MHz All-Mode Transceiver. According
to Kenwood, the new radio features a 32-bit floating-point DSP,
advanced receiver performance and an extensive range of features that
make it ideal for beginner and seasoned DX'er alike. The radio's
exceptional ease of operation, true to the Kenwood tradition, will be
especially welcome for contest and mobile operations. No firm
manufacturers suggested retail price for the TS-590 was announced.

But the TS-590S was not the only new entry from Kenwood. Also displayed
was the company's APRS capable TH-D72 144 and 430MHz dual band FM
Portable. Kenwood says that thanks to the internal GPS unit, APRS
operations will be more enjoyable than ever. The TH-D72 also offers
Echolink memory compatibility and a mini-USB connector for enhanced
computer connectivity.

On the audio side, here's Bob Heil, K9EID on his new microphone and
headset offerings.

(AUDIO Bob Heil)

There was lots more new gear shown at Hamvention 2010. We will cover
some of it in upcoming Newsline reports.

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the WB5RAP
repeater serving Purcell, Oklahoma.

(5 sec pause here)

**

RESCUE RADIO: CHINA QUAKE IARU R-1 FINAL REPORT

Hams in China became true first responders following last April's
Qinghai earthquake. According to a report on the IA-R-U's Region One
website, one Beijing based amateur radio rescue team was responsible
for saving the lives of 6 people following the temblor. In its final
report on ham radio activities following the 7.1 Richter scale
earthquake that struck on April 14th the I-A-R-U say that amateur radio
operators in China were widely involved in the disaster relief
activities. The report says that hams traveled from as far away as
Beijing, Sichuan, Shandong, Anhui, Qinghai and Jiangsu to provide
communications aid.

The quake killed more than 2,000 people and relief efforts are
continuing for those left homeless. The high altitude caused 90% of
the amateur radio rescue team members to suffer altitude sickness, but
no one was injured during their efforts to help others affected by the
earthquake disaster.(IARU R-1)

**

RESTRUCURING: KENYA EXPANDS 40 METER PRIVELEGES

The Communications Commission of Kenya has just approved an extension
of the amateur radio 40-metre band in that nation. This gives radio
amateurs in Kenya the use of the sub-band 7100 to 7200 kHz in the 40
meter band. More is on line at the web link found at
http://www.cck.go.ke/http://www.cck.go.ke/ (Southgate)

**

RADIO LAW: FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON SPREAD SPECTRUM NPRM

The FCC says its time for you to voice your opinion on liberalizing the
use of spread spectrum in ham radio.

According to the ARRL, in March the FCC released a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking in WT Docket No 10-62 that suggested amending Part 97 to
facilitate the use of spread spectrum communications technologies by
eliminating the requirement that amateur stations use automatic power
control, This, to reduce transmitter power when the station transmits a
spread spectrum emission, and reducing the maximum transmitter power
output when transmitting a Spread Spectrum signal.

On May 14th , a summary of the NPRM and the Order was published in the
Federal Register and the FCC is seeking comments on the NPRM. Comments
must be filed on or before June 14th and reply comments must be filed
on or before June 28th.

The Commission also attached an Order to the NPRM that makes certain
non-substantive revisions to Part 97.

(ARRL)

**

HAM HONORS: CQ ANNOUNCES 2010 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

CQ magazine has announced its 2010 Hall of Fame inductees. The 15 new
members include some names well known in the hobby. Among these is late
ARRL President George S. Wilson who led the ARRL portion of the effort
to create the vanity call sign program.

Also being honored this year is the late Gene Harlan, WB9MMM, who was
the editor and publisher of ATV Quarterly and founder of Cyberham
magazine.

The 2010 inductees to the CQ DX Hall of Fame are writer and DXer Robert
Locher, W9KNI, author of the "The Complete DXer" and Lynn Lamb, W4NL
who is a co-founder of the Southeastern DX and Contesting
Organization. This group sponsors an annual convention featuring
well-known speakers on DXing and contesting.

Last but by no means least are Don Hill, AA5AU and Larry Weaver, N6TW
who have been inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. The complete
list of this year's inductees can be found on-line at www dot cq dash
amateur dash radio dot com. (CQ)

**

RADIO BUSINESS: BELTRONICS TO ABANDON HAM RADIO REPAIR

The Nashua Telegraph reports that Beltronics is ending ham radio
repairs because of too much demand.

Until last month, the company had two employees who did part-time
repair work on amateur radio gear. When one of those employees
retired, company co-owner Dorothy Peabody said, the decision was made
to get out of that business because there were more requests for
repairs than the one remaining worker could handle.

Dorothy Peabody owns Beltronics with her husband Bernie. She told the
newspaper that the desire for repair work is so great that over the
past decade Beltronics has repaired radios mailed from as far away as
Saudi Arabia, Puerto Rico and South America. The company will now
concentrate on its core business of commercial, municipal and
ambulance radio systems.

You can read the full Nashua Telegraph story dated Friday, May 14 at
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/...s-ending-ham-r
adio-repairs.htmlhttp://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/738077-196/beltro
nics-ending-ham-radio-repairs.html (Southgate)

**

TELECOMMUNICATIONS LAW: SUPREME COURT REFUSES CHALLENGE TO MUST CARY
RULE

The United States Supreme Court has declined to take up a challenge
from a cable television system operator. This, to the FCC's 18 year
old requirement that cablecasters carry local broadcast stations on
their systems.

On Monday, May 17th the justices rejected an appeal from Cablevision
Corporation. Instead the court upheld a federal "Must Carry" law,
enacted in 1992.

Cablevision, the nation's fifth-largest cable TV operator, sued the
Federal Communications Commission over its ruling that forced
Cablevision to carry the signal of a distant home-shopping station on
its Long Island cable systems. The federal appeals court in New York
had previously upheld the FCC's determination that the cablecaster
provide a channel for WRNN, based in the town of Kingston which is
about 90 miles north of New York City. The case was assigned the
designation Cablevision v. FCC, 09-901

**

BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United
States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the
world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being
relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: KEN MILLER K6IR -S.K

We are very sad to report the passing of 1999 Dayton Radio Amateur of
the Year, Kenneth Miller, K6IR, on March 24th.

Ken Millers professional career spanned over four decades in the
executive management and development of products in the electronic
equipment manufacturing business segment of industry in the United
States, Europe and Asia. In his role as an executive with Lear Jet,
Motorola, American Standard, Penril, the Singer Company and other well
known corporations, K6IR participated in the production and marketing
of a broad array of high-tech electronic products including airborne
and ground based communications, navigation instrumentation and
digital communications devices.

In ham radio, Ken Miller served the Radio Club of America for several
years as Chairman of the Grants-in-Aid Committee. The Quarter Century
Wireless Association had named K6IR as recipient of its 1995
Distinguished Service Award for his "engineering accomplishments and
his leadership of the Radio Club of America Scholarship Program."

(RCA, QCWA)

**

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: TWO SOUTH AFRICAN HAMS KILED IN PLANE CRASH

The recent airline accident in Tripoli has claimed the lives of 2
well-known South African amateur radio operators. ?Norbert Taferner,
ZS6ANL, his wife Paula and Anton Matthee, ZS6A were killed when the
Airbus aircraft they were passengers on crashed.

According to Dennis Green, ZS4BS, Norbert Tafener will be remembered
for his years of involvement with the Johannesburg Branch of the South
African Radio League. Although retired, he was still active in
teaching and lecturing to young and new amateur radio operators in
helping them to obtain their licenses. The Tafener's are survived by
one son.

Anton Matthee, ZS6A, lived in Stellenbosch and was a keen off road
adventurer, painter and photographer. From reports, he was a truly
outgoing person. (Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: VIETNAM TO LAUNCH HAMSAT

News has been received from XV9AA in Hanoi of a Vietnamese Amateur
Radio CubeSat under development. The new bird is designated as F-1. It
is expected to be launched by the end of 2010 into a Sun-synchronous,
98 deg inclination low earth orbit.

The satellite F-1 will carry several low-resolution cameras to take
photos of the Earth along with temperature and magnetic sensors to
study space environment. The satellite will use amateur VHF and UHF
frequencies. The IARU has coordinated a downlink frequency of 437.485
MHz to support a 1200 baud AX.25 telemetry link. The F-1 satellite
will also transmit a beacon using a modulated Morse code audio signal
on FM when it is not in range of the earth station in Hanoi.

More is on line at :
http://fspace.fsoft.com.vn/http://fspace.fsoft.com.vn/ (Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE; VIOLET SAT TO LAUNCH IN 2011

And the Violet is an Amateur Radio satellite being built at Cornell
University. It will launch in early 2011. This bird is described as a
50 cm cube sat and will carry 4k8 UHF simplex packet links with 5
watts of RF downlink power. It will use a star tracker and fiber optic
gyro for fine attitude estimation and propagation.

A submission for frequencies has been made to the IARU Amateur
Satellite Frequency Coordination panel for operational frequency
assignments. The name Violet is derived from its ultraviolet
telescope, which includes flight-spare Deep Impact CCDs. (ANS)

**

HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE: THE ALIEN-1 BALLOON LAUNCH

The flight of ALIEN-1, a high altitude balloon built by three students
at Reading School, proved a success. This despite the 50 baud
transmission rate of the payload. That meant it could only send down
one telemetry string every 15 seconds. As a result it initially looked
as though the highest altitude achieved was 33.116km. However, having
recovered the payload they got the second-by-second GPS log and this
shows the highest achieved altitude was 33.158km: It is believed this
altitude is the third highest in the UKHAS UK records. The 434.075 MHz
beacon worked well and some great pictures were taken. (Various)

**

DX

In DX, G7COD has been issued the call sign D2AK and will be operational
nearly every day from the capital of the Republic of Angola. This, for
the next 12 months while on a work assignment there. His operation
will be on 80 to 10 meters, including WARC frequencies, using SSB and
CW. QSL via G7COD, direct only to Andrew Kitchen, 4 Dairy Cottage,
Newton Hall Farm, Bank Newton, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 3NT,
England.

The Dundalk Amateur Radio Society, using the call EI7DAR stroke P will
be activating St. Johns Castle, Carlingford, County Louth Ireland on
Saturday and Sunday, May 29th and 30th. Full details of the event are
on line at www dot ei7dr dot com. Lastly, ZS1HF is now active as ZS8M
from Marion Island. He's reportedly been heard on 7.140, 14.250,
18.150 and 21.266 Mhz. He will be on Marion Island for a full year so
there will be plenty of time to have a chat. QSL as he directs on the
air.

(Above from various DX ews sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: SUPERCAPICITORS MAY REPLACE BATTERIES

And finally this week, failed batteries are a problem that plague both
cell-phones and Amateur Radio satellites. But Micro-Super capacitors
may provide a solution.

Science Daily reports that Berkeley Lab researcher John Chmiola
believes he has found a solution in electrochemical capacitors, which
are commonly referred to as "super capacitors." This is because of
their higher energy storage densities than conventional dielectric
capacitors and higher abuse tolerance than batteries.

In a paper published in the April 23rd issue of the journal Science,
titled "Monolithic Carbide-Derived Carbon Films for Micro-Super
capacitors," Chmiola and Yury Gogotsi of Drexel University, along with
other co-authors, describe a unique new technique for integrating high
performance micro-sized super capacitors into a variety of portable
electronic devices through common micro-fabrication techniques. They
say that this evolving technology could eventually lead to an end to
failed batteries in critical equipment including satellites where
there is no way to replace a defective battery once the bird has been
launched and is on-orbit.

You can Read the full ScienceDaily article 'Is There a Micro-Super
capacitor in Your Future?' at
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100426092805.htmhttp://w
ww.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100426092805.htm

(WIA News, Science Daily, Science OnLine)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain,
the RSGB, the Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all
from the Amateur Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is
mailto:newsline%40arnewsline.orgnewsline@arnewsl ine.org. More
information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's" only official
website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or
support us at Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa
Clarita California, 91350

Before we go, a reminder that the nominating period for the 2010
Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award closes on May 30th.
That gives you only a week or so to nominate a deserving teen or
pre-teen radio amateur for this yearly ham radio honor.

Each year, we here at the Amateur Radio Newsline in association with
Vertex Standard Corporation -- the makers of Yaesu brand ham radio
gear -- and CQ Magazine combine to honor a ham radio operator age 18
or younger for his or her contributions to ham radio or to society
itself through ham radio.

All nominations and materials required by the official rules must be
received by Amateur Radio Newsline no later than midnight on May 30th.
Both "mail-in" and electronic submissions are being accepted this
year. Full rules and a downloadable nominating form are now on our
website at www.arnewsline.org. Just scroll down until you see "2010
Young Ham of the Year Awards Now Being Accepted" and click on the word
"here" to download the directions and the form. You can also leave
questions and comments on the official Young Ham of the Year Award
page on Facebook dot com.

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don
Wilbanks, AE5DW, back home in Picayune, Mississippi, after enjoying
Hamvention 2010. I also say 73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.